Clothes-line.



No. 667,523. Patented Feb. 5, 1901.

G. E. HOOVER.

CLOTHES LINE. (Application flied July 12, 1900.

No Model.)

llNirnn STATES FFICE.

GRANT E. HOOVER, OF FREEPORT, ILLINOIS.

CLOTHES-LINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 667,523, dated February5, 1901.

Application filed July 12,1900. Serial No. 23,392- (No model.)

To all whmn it may concern:

Beit known that I, GRANT E. HOOVER, a citizen of the United States,residing at Freeport, in the county of Stephenson and State of Illinois,have invented new and useful Improvementsin Clothes-Lines, of which thefollowing is a specification.

My invention relates to clothes-lines and supporting devices therefor;and one object of the same is to provide a support for the line whichmay be quickly lowered to put the same in position to be easily reachedby the laundress and which may be raised to the desired height after theclothes have been hung upon the line.

Another object is to provide a device of the character referred to whichwill permit the laundress to stand at one place and attach all the washto the different clothes-lines.

I attain these objects by means of the mechanism shown in theaccompanying drawings, in Which Figure 1 is aperspective View of myclothesline support in position for use. detail perspective view of thehinges. 3 is a perspective view of one of the flangeplates. Fig. 4 is asimilar View of a clothesline tightener which I may use.

Like numerals of reference designate like parts in the different views.

Referring to the drawings, the numeral 1 designates a post, which may beof wood or metal and is provided at its upper end with a pair offlange-plates 2 2 of the same construction, said plates being secured tothe post by a single bolt 3, passing through both plates and theintermediate post. Secured to the upper end of this post is a cross-arm4, attached by a bolt 5, passing through said cross-arm and into thepost. The cross-arm is seated between the flange-plates 2 2 and at theends of the cross-arm grooved pulleys 6 o are journaled on suitablepintles on the ends of the cross-arm.

At a point near the lower end of the post 1 hinges 7 are attached inasuitable manner to permit the post to swing for a purpose to be setforth.

Guy-ropes 8 are attached at opposite sides of the center of thecross-arm 1, and at their outer ends these ropes are connected to a ring9. A rope 10 is attached atone end to the ring Fig. 2 is a- Fig.

9, and its opposite end is connected to a stake 11, rigidly secured inthe ground at a proper distance from the post 1.

Located at any desired distance from, the post 1 is a post 12, which isin every respect similar to post 1 and is provided with the same detailsof construction, consisting of the flange-plates, the cross-arm, thegrooved pulleys, and the hinged joint. The guy-ropes and rope 10 arealso attached to the crossarm in the same manner; but the outer end ofthe rope 10 is connected to awindlass 13, secured at the top of a post14, driven into the ground in a fixed position at some distance from thepost 12. This Windlass consists of a winding-drum 15, a ratchet-wheel 16at one end thereof, and a shaft 17, passing through the drum andratchet-wheel and journaled at its ends in the bearings 18, secured tothe post. The projecting end 19 of the shaft 17 is squared to form aseat for a double crank 20 for operating the drum, and a dog or pawl 21,of ordinary construction, is pivoted to one of the bearings 18 andserves to hold the ratchet and drum at any adjusted position.

A hook 22 may be secured to one of the posts to serve as a support for areceptacle for clothes-pins.

The clothes-lines 23 pass around the pulleys 6 6, and a fixed line 24may be attached to the cross-arms, if desired. It will also be obviousthat more than two pulleys may be mounted on each cross-arm. Y

The clothes-line tightener (shown in Fig. 4) consists of a pulley 25,adapted to be placed on the upper strand of the clothes-line 23, and thehooks 26 are suspended from the pintle 27 of said pulley. A cord or stay28 is connected at its ends to the hooks 26, and by shortening the cordthe clothes-lines may be tightened between the pulleys 6.

The operation of the device is as follows: When the support is in theposition shown in full lines in Fig. l, the laundress may hang theclothes on the lower strands of the lines 23 and on the line 24. If itshould be deemed necessary to lower the lines, so that they may be morereadily reached, this may be accomplished by letting out the rope 10 atthe windlass and permitting the cross-arms to descend to the positionshown in dotted lines. Whenever the lines need tightening, the Windlassmay be operated to bring the posts into vertical position.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim is 1. A clothesline comprising two posts hinged near their lower ends and provided withcross-arms attached at their upper ends, pulleys on the cross-arms,clothes-lines pass: ing around said pulleys, ropes connected to thecross-arms, one of said ropes being secured to a rigid stake on one sideof one post, and the other rope extending to a Windlass at some distancefrom the other post, substantially as described.

nesses.

GRANT E. HOOVER. Witnesses:

W. N. ORONKRITE, J. H. VINCENT.

